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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018.10.04 OSTB Regular Session minutes_S MINUTES OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS BOARD REGULAR SESSION October 4, 2018 Pitkin County Administration Building 530 E. Main St.,Aspen OSTB Present: Graeme Means Howie Mallory Amy Barrow Michael Kinsley Wayne Ives Dist. 1, Chair Dist. 2 Dist. 3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Staff Present: Gary Tennenbaum, Lindsey Utter, Jessie Young, Janet Urquhart, Fran Soroka, Paul Holsinger, Pryce Hadley, Ted O'Brien Media Present: Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, Aspen Public Radio Graeme Means called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT Graeme Means read an email he received from Tim McFlynn complimenting OST's new EcoFinder website. Howie Mallory asked how information could be submitted to the site. Gary Tennenbaum said the next step is filling in the gaps in ecological data. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Howie Mallory moved to approve the OSTB and joint OSTB-BOCC minutes of Sept. 4, 2018 as amended, and OSTB minutes of Sept. 20, 2018. Michael Kinsley seconded. Motion passed(5-0). Tom Cardamone entered the meeting at 9:17 a.m. 2019 Budget Gary Tennenbaum explained the Open Space and Trails Multi-Year Projection and the amounts proposed to be spent on administration of the program, acquisition and improvement, trails and maintenance. Julie Mao, Kurtis Tesch and Matt Yamashita of Colorado Parks and Wildlife entered the meeting at 9:28 a.m. Matt Kuhn and Chris Petersen of the City of Aspen entered the meeting at 9:33 a.m. Tennenbaum said trail construction continues to be funded with 15 percent of revenues while the maintenance allocation rises to 27 percent so the program can deal with some deferred maintenance projects and keep up with maintenance on the program's growing number of properties. The acquisition fund will have a healthy balance by 2023 according to projections, though potential purchases could reduce that balance, he said. Michael Kinsley asked if the allowable spending range of up to 35 percent of revenues is adequate for maintenance in the long term. Tennenbaum said he believes it is. Graeme Means noted the repair of historic structures would come out of the acquisition fund. A separate discussion on historic structures is planned for the board's Nov. 1 meeting, Tennenbaum said. Howie Mallory noted roughly one-third of the program's gross revenues are allocated to fixed costs for operation of the program. 10/04/2018 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 1 of 4 Tennenbaum explained the inclusion of three proposed new positions in the 2019 budget. One of them, a natural resource planner, would oversee activities related to the program's biodiversity policy, including the ecological studies taking place on open space. Wayne Ives said he sees the position as more of a generalist and suggested adding "ecologist"to the position's title. Howie Mallory said he wants more information regarding the position's job description and qualification requirements. Tennenbaum said increasing a 6-month seasonal foreman on the maintenance crew to 8 months is also in the budget. The position would be increased to full-time, with Pitkin County Road and Bridge employing the individual for the other 4 months of the year. The shared position will give Road and Bridge a winter plow driver and give Open Space and Trails a second maintenance crew member during the shoulder seasons, which are ideal times to accomplish projects, Tennenbaum said. The board voiced unanimous support for both positions and, later during the discussion, also agreed to the inclusion in the 2019 budget of a third full- time ranger position, which will improve the program's enforcement coverage in the Crystal Valley during the winter months, Tennenbaum said. Julie Mao of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, accompanied by Kurtis Tesch and Matt Yamashita of CPW, outlined a CPW request for CPW wildlife studies. The studies will look at the distribution and movement of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds; the distribution, movement and mortality of the Basalt bighorn sheep herd; and elk demographics and recreation's impacts on elk. OST funds would also go to other expenses related to the elk study. The board agreed to allocating the requested funds (a total of$90,415 for 2019) in the 2019 budget. John Wilkinson entered the meeting at 10:43 a.m. Chris Petersen departed the meeting at 10:44 a.m. Tom Cardamone of the Watershed Biodiversity Initiative, explained the Initiative's proposed two-year project—a biodiversity and wildlife connectivity study involving scientists with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The total project will cost close to $1 million; Cardamone said the initiative is seeking $200,000 from OST ($50,000 allocated in 2018, $75,000 in 2019 and$75,000 in 2020). The goal is to identify high-priority areas for conservation and restoration within the Roaring Fork Watershed, Cardamone said. The results will help guide OST in making science-based decisions about acquisitions and management, and reflects the program's biodiversity goals, Tennenbaum said. Board members endorsed the expenditure. Graeme Means asked staff to break out how much of the OST budget is devoted to research and studies. Dale Will entered the meeting at 11:08 a.m. Elizabeth Stewart-Severy departed the meeting at 11:09 a.m. Michael Kinsley voiced support for the Initiative's study and the CPW research projects but questioned CPW's credibility in light of a recent High Country News article that indicated politics and agricultural interests have incapacitated CPW's ability to protect bighorn sheep. Kinsley said he questioned the objectivity of information that would result from the bighorn study and asked Wayne Ives' opinion on the matter, given Ives' background as former rangeland manager for the Sopris and Aspen districts of the White River National Forest. Ives said he does 10/04/2018 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 2 of 4 not have concerns about the science of the three proposed projects. Howie Mallory said he wants the resulting data to be useful in decision making and asked if the Initiative's study would be pertinent to decisions regarding the proposed Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail. That is the intent, Cardamone said. Ives asked how data about the Basalt bighorn herd will be of use in Pitkin County. Bighorn rams roam over a wide range and there are implications if domestic sheep are raised on OST properties in Eagle County, Tennenbaum said. Information gleaned from the study of a healthy herd could also be helpful, he said. Means reiterated his desire for information on how much the open space program spends on studies and how they fit into the overall program. Howie Mallory asked how much OST allocates to outreach. Tennenbaum said he will divide the budget into themes, such as outreach and science, for presentation to the board on Nov. 1. Means also asked that the list of potential future trail projects be brought to the board for review. John Wilkinson,president of the Aspen-Snowmass Nordic Council, and Matt Kuhn presented the Aspen-Snowmass Nordic Program's proposed budget to the board and outlined plans to potentially expand snowmaking for nordic track near Aspen High School if needed. Equipment has been purchased and$9,000 is budgeted for staff costs associated with snowmaking if it is needed in the fall/early winter of 2019, Wilkinson said. The goal is 1 kilometer of track using manmade snow this winter if natural snow does not materialize, Kuhn said. The board endorsed the nordic budget as proposed. Ted O'Brien left the meeting at 11:56 a.m. John Wilkinson and Matt Kuhn departed the meeting at 12:02 p.m. Gary Tennenbaum said he would present the proposed 2019 OST budget to the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 23, though the BOCC does not take action to adopt the county budget until December. He asked the Open Space Board to approve the 2019 budget, noting historic preservation expenditures will be discussed Nov. 1 and all of the budget remains open to board tweaking on Nov. 1. BOARD AND STAFF COMMENTS Michael Kinsley said he heard from a Healthy Rivers and Streams Board member that the HRS Board would like to be involved in pertinent OST acquisition discussions. They have been, Tennenbaum said. Kinsley also asked if anything is being done regarding OST's effect on private agriculture. The topic was discussed, Dale Will said. Will said he doesn't recall what action was discussed. Kinsley also asked if Haystack Mountain is an appropriate place for an interpretive sign that explains the area's history as private property that became part of the national forest. The story is relayed at the Roaring Fork Conservancy's annual snowshoe tour at Capitol Creek Ranch, Paul Holsinger said. OST is working on interpretive signage for high-use areas, Tennenbaum said. Kinsley also updated the board on his participation, along with some OST staff members, in a Crystal River Restoration Workshop sponsored by OST, Healthy Rivers and Streams, and the Roaring Fork Conservancy. While some degraded areas of the river have recovered on their own, Dale Will said he is interested to know if there is an overall benefit to the river if other sections are restored through human intervention. OST staff will continue to be involved in these discussions and the board asked Wayne Ives if he would participate, as well. 10/04/2018 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 3 of 4 BOARD ACTION 2019 Budget Michael Kinsley moved to approve the 2019 budget. Amy Barrow seconded. Motion passed(5- 0). Stranahan parcel Michael Kinsley moved to accept the donation of a 10.4-acre parcel in upper Lenado from George Stranahan as open space. Amy Barrow seconded. The motion passed(5-0). EXECUTIVE SESSION The OSTB moved to enter executive session in accordance with CRS 24-6-402(4) (a), (b) and (e) for the purpose of discussing land acquisitions and negotiations, and attorney consultation, at 12:43 p.m. The OSTB adjourned the executive session at 2 p.m. ADJOURN The OSTB regular and executive sessions of Oct. 4, 2018 were adjourned at 2 p.m. Approved: Attest: Gr eme it Jane rquhart Pitkin my Open Space &Trails Board Pit 'n County Open Space &Trails Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator 10/04/2018 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 4 of 4